‘


Unmesh Gujarathi
Sprouts News

The Govt had imposed a lockdown during the Corona pandemic and had entrusted the responsibility of providing free food grains to poor and needy people to the authorised ration shops (ARS). However several citizens had complained about the massive corruption in this scheme and the lackadaisical attitude of the shop owners about this scheme.

Taking the cognizance of these complaints, the Food and Civil Supplies Minister Chhagan Bhujbal had suspended the registrations of 87 shops and had canceled the registrations of 48 shops at that time. The media had spontaneously lauded Bhujbal’s strong action against erring shop owners.

However during the above drive, Bhujbal was over cooperative to some of the shop owners, and their shops were shielded despite their lapses, the Special Investigation Team of Sprouts has learned reliability.

Rudrapal Kailashprasad Agrawal owns a ration shop- “Ajanta Stores” located at Kemps Corner in South Mumbai. He has not renewed his rationing license for the last 5 years and 4 FIRs have been registered against him. These FIRs have been filed at Gamdevi Police station under charges of an assault on a police sub-inspector and black marketing essential commodities.

Ashok Agrawal, called on Maharashtra Governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari, the Food and Civil Supplies Minister Chhagan Bhujbal, Controller of Rationing, Director of Rationing and Deputy Controller of Rationing and made repeated complaints about these shops. But to no avail. The complaints didn’t yield anything. Not only this, but Bhujbal’s PA chided Ashok Agrawal for lodging complaints and also advised him to remain away from this matter. He was also asked not to visit Bhujbal’s office again, Agrawal said.